Culture
Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of
people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits,
music and arts. Today, in the United States as in other countries populated
largely by immigrants, the culture is influenced by the many groups of people
that now make up the country.
Culture and mass communication
How does mass communication affect culture?
Culture refers to the attributes such as lifestyle, habits
and moral ethics that a population in a specific place might adhere to, as the
way of life. It’s ever changing and is subject to influences, this is where the
mass communication can have an effect on the cultural ethos of a society.
Communicating on a mass level gives the sender of a message
the power to alter certain things or introduce new things that might affect the
cultural dynamics of a society, and it can’t happen in isolation. Every
individual part of that culture is subject to the ramification. For instance
coffee and coffee shops have never been a part of the Indian culture but today
due to the idea been promoted in every medium of mass communication it has
almost become a part of it.
How did the endustrial revolution affect culture ?
After industrial
revolution mane things are no longer the same. For instance, before industrial
revolution we used to sing songs, but now we are able to purchase it (CD’s with
albums), sang by someone else.
The Industrial
Revolution enabled the mass of the people to achieve the income, education and
leisure time necessary to enjoy fine books, good music, and beautiful
sculptures and paintings, encouraged inventions
such as the printing press, radio and television that enabled works of
culture to reach more people at lower cost, enabled men to acquire great
wealth, part of which they returned to society by financing libraries, symphony
orchestras, museums and scholarships for promising writers and artists, and
encouraged the growth of democracy, thus providing the atmosphere of freedom so
necessary for writers and artists to produce great works.
Functions of Culture:
Culture has been fulfilling a number of functions which may
be divided into two - (a) for the individual and (b) for the group.
a. Importance to the individual:
(1) Culture distinguishes man from animal. It is the culture
that makes the human animal a man. It regulates his conduct and prepares him
for a group life. Without culture he would have been forced to find his own way
which would have meant a loss of energy.
(2) Culture provides solution for complicated situations.
Culture provides man a set of behaviour for difficult situations. In the
absence of culture man would have been baffled even at the simplest situations.
Culture not only defines but also determines what we eat and drink, when to
sleep, when to laugh etc.
(3) Culture provides traditional interpretation to certain
situations. Through culture man gets traditional interpretations for many
situations according to which he determines his behaviour. For example, if a
cat crosses his way he postpones the journey.
(4) Culture shapes personality. No child can develop human
qualities in the absence of cultural environment. Culture prepares man for
group life. It is culture that provides opportunities for the development of
personality and sets limits on its growth.
b. Importance for the group:
(1) Culture keeps social relationship intact. Culture has
importance not only for men but also for the group. Culture prepares man for
group life. Group life would have been poor, nasty, and short if there had been
no cultural regulations. Group solidarity rests on the foundation of culture.
(2) Culture has given a new vision to the individual.
Secondly, culture has given a new vision to the co-operation of the
individuals. Culture teaches him to think of himself as a part of the larger
whole. It provides him with the concepts of family, state, nation etc. and
makes possible the coordination and division of labour.
(3)Culture creates new needs. Finally, culture also creates
new needs and drives, for example, thirst for knowledge and arranges for their
satisfaction. It satisfies the moral and religious interests of the members of
the group.
